House electric



w. C; DIXON.

SWITCHING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED mmm. 1918.

BY AITORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. `A

WALTER C. DIXON, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING-HOUSE ELECTRIC @c MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENN-sYLvANIA.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WALTER C. DIXON, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Wilkinsburo, in the county of Allegheny and State of2Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in SwitchingDevices, of which the following is a yspecification.

My invention relates to switching devices and particularly to switch andfuse boxes of the safety first type.

One object of my invention is to provide means whereby an inclosedswitch may be so interlocked with the cover members for its fuses thatthe switch may only be closed when the fuses are protected and the fusesmay be removed only when the switch is open.

Another object of my invention is to pro vide a switching device, of theabove-ndicated character, that shall be relatively simple andinexpensive to construct and effective in its operation.

In practising my invention, I provide an inclosed switch, a fusedisposed at each side thereof and hinged cover members for the fuses. Arod is connected between the cover members of the fuses and is sodisposed with respect to the handle of the switch that the cover memberscannot be opened so long as the switch 1s closed and the switch cannotbe closed so long as the cover members are n open.

board 2 or other suitable supporting devicey and comprises, in general,a switch 3, here shown as of the knife-blade type, fuses 4 and 5 and acasing 6 for the switch, receptacles 7 and 8 for the fuses and a rod 9for so interlocking the switch with the covers 15 and 16 of thereceptacles 7 and 8 as to preclude the opening of the covers so long asthe switch is in its closed position.

The switch 3 may be of the ordinary multi-pole single-throw typecomprising stationary contact members 10, movable contact members 11 andan operating handle 12. The switch 3 is mounted on the panel boardSpecification of LettersiPatent.

SWITCKHKING DEVICE.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application led March 14, 1918. Serial No. 222,450.

2, and the handle 12 is adapted to extend through an opening 13 in thecasing 6 in order that the live terminals of the switch shall beinclosed under all conditions, thereby preventing unauthorized personsfrom coming into Contact with them. The opening 13 is enlarged at oneend to permit re-k moval of the casing 6.only when the switch 3 is inits open position.

yThe covers 15 and 16 are severally hinged at 14; to ends of the bodyportions of fuse receptacles 7 and 8. The rod 9 is connected to thecovers 15 and 16 at the ends that are opposite to the hinge ends andextends across the casing 6 of the switch 3. The rod is disposed behindthe handle 12, and latch members 17 are provided for engaging it to holdthe covers 15 and 16 in their closed positions.

Since the rod 9 is disposed behind the handle 12, the covers 15 and 16cannot be moved to their open positions until the switch 3 is open, and,conversely, the switch 3 cannot be closed without closing the covers 15and 16.

My invention is not limited to the particular structure illustrated, asvarious modifications may be made therein without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a switch, the combination with an inclosed switch member having ahandle projecting exteriorly of the closure and a fuse-containingreceptacle, of means connected to the fuse-containing receptacle onlyand disposed in the path of movement of the switch handle for openingthe switch when the fuse-containing receptacle is opened and for closingthe fuse-containing receptacle when the switch' is closed.

2. The combination with an inclosed switch and a fuse-inclosingreceptacle, of a projection on the fuse-inclosing receptaclel relativelymovable with respect to and adapted to engage the operating handle ofthe switch to caus"e the switch to be opened when the fuse-inclosingreceptacle is opened and to prevent the closure of the switch before thefuse-inclosing receptacle is closed.

3. The combination with a switch, an inclosing casing therefor, a fuseand a hinged cover for the same, of a projection on the hinged coverrelatively movable with respect to and adapted to engage the handle ofthe switch When the cover for the fuse is opened to thereby open theswitch.

'-l. The combination with a switch, an inclosing casing therefor, a fuseand a hinged cover for the same, of a projection attached to the hingedcover only and adapted'to engage the handle of the switch When the cover`is opened to thereby open'the switch.

5. The combination with a switch, a receptacle therefor having anopening therein to permit movement of the` operating handle, a fusecontaining receptacle disposed on each side of the switch, and hingedcovers Jror the fuse receptacles, of a rod disposed between the hingedcovers and adapted to be engaged by the handle of the switch underpredetermined conditions.

6. The combination with a switch, a receptacle therefor having anopening therein to permit movement of the operating handle,

a fuse containing receptacle disposed on each side of the switch andhinged covers for the fuse-containing receptacles, of means for sointerlocking the covers with the operating handle that openingV theVcovers opens the switch and closing the switch closes the covers.

7. The combination with an inclosed switch, an. operating handletherefor, a fuse containing receptacle disposed on each side of theswitch, and hinged covers for the fuse receptacle, of a rod extendingbetween the covers and attached thereto and adapted to be engagedby thehandley for thepurpose of preventing the switclibeing closed so long asthe covers are open;

In v*testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 12th dayof March, 1918.

WALTER C. DIXON.

